Following England’s disastrous Ashes 2025 defeat, Brendon McCullum’s future is under scrutiny. Former India coach Ravi Shastri has emerged as a surprise contender, with Monty Panesar backing him for his proven Test success in Australia.
England head coach Brendon McCullum’s future is currently at stake after the side’s The Ashes 2025 series defeat in 11 days at the hands of the long-time rivals Australia. England, under the captain-coach duo of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, has had a disastrous tour of Australia as they suffered the Ashes series in 11 days, losing the first three Tests and sparking intense debate over the former New Zealand captain’s future as a head coach and calls for a change in leadership.
England entered the third Test at the Adelaide Oval trailing 0-2 after losing the Perth and Brisbane Tests. Though the visitors had a chance to keep the series alive with a victory, they fell short as Australia dominated the match, winning convincingly by 82 runs to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match Ashes 2025 series, effectively dashing their hopes of ending the 10-year urn drought.
As Brendon McCullum has been put under scrutiny after England’s Ashes series defeat, former India captain and head coach Ravi Shastri emerged as the surprise contender to take over as a head coach if the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) sacks McCullum from his role.
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Is Ravi Shastri Fit to Take Up England Coaching Role?
Ravi Shastri served as Team India's head coach from 2017 to 2021, guiding the side to several victories at home and abroad, marking his tenure as one of the successful phases in Indian cricket history, despite not winning any ICC trophies, including the 2017 Champions Trophy, 2019 ODI World Cup, and 2021 T20 World Cup.
Speaking to the journalist on his YouTube channel, former England spinner Monty Panesar believes that Shastri fits the profile, as he knows what it takes to defeat Australia in their own backyard.
“You have to think: who exactly knows how to beat Australia? How do you take advantage of Australia’s weaknesses, mentally, physically, and tactically? I think Ravi Shastri should become England’s next head coach.” Panesar said.
Ravi Shastri holds the distinction of being the first coach to lead the Asian team to the Test series on Australian soil, winning the 2018–19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2–1 during India’s historic Test series triumph in Australia. Team India repeated the same feat under Shastri during the 2020-21 Australia tour, clinching another historic Test series win by the same 2–1 margin despite a depleted squad.
India’s successive Test series win over Australia in their own backyard cemented Shastri’s reputation as a coach capable of masterminding success in the toughest overseas conditions.
England Hopes to Salvage Pride Amid Noosa Break Controversy
As the Ashes slipped away from their hands after losing the third Test at the Adelaide Oval, the Ben Stokes-led England will look to salvage pride by winning the final Tests of the tour at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Sydney Cricket Ground.
Ahead of the Boxing Day Test at MCG, England were embroiled in a controversy after reports emerged that several players spent part of their mid-series break in Noosa, Queensland, engaging in heavy drinking, which Australian media reported as a ‘stag do’. The viral video of England opener Ben Duckett in a drunken state has further added to the woes, prompting the ECB to launch an investigation into the claims.
England captain Ben Stokes addresses the controversy during the press conference ahead of the Boxing Day Test, stating that his priority was the welfare and well-being of his players, saying he would always protect them and support them through the scrutiny, while urging focus on the remaining Tests rather than the off-field allegations.
With the Boxing Day Test scheduled to take place on December 26, a day after Christmas celebrations, England will aim to move past the controversy and focus on restoring pride with a strong on-field performance.
